Hozuki Sakura holds an ability that is rare even within her clan. Captured by Orochimaru alongside her brother, Suigetsu, they are freed when Uchiha Sasuke comes along looking to recruit a team to go after his brother, Uchiha Itachi. Alongside Karin and Jugo, they form Team Hebi under the Uchiha. However, this may soon become a relationship with more to it than just give and take.
Uchiha Sasuke hacked through the glass container almost as easily as if he were looking through a genjutsu with his Sharingan. Water flooded out of the human test tube and he watched as the puddle began to ripple, shifting into a humanoid shape.
Before his eyes, the water began to ripple, then slowly brought itself together to form a humanoid shape. "Finally...it feels like it's been forever."
"You're the first, Suigetsu," Sasuke said, unfazed. "Come with me."
The other teen raised an eyebrow. "First? Then there are others?" He slowly stretched his limbs.Ā
"Two," Sasuke replied. "Jugo from the Northern hideout, then Karin from the Southern hideout."
"Nothing, to be honest. I just don't like them."
Sasuke looked down dismissively at Hozuki Suigetsu. "You don't have to get along. Just work together."
"Of course. You did save me. If you tell me to work with them, I don't mind." Suigetsu smirked. "You're crazy for choosing them,ā he added.
"Shut up," the Uchiha snapped. "Hurry up. We're going."
"Such superiority," Suigetsu chuckled.
Sasuke blinked, and the Hozuki was behind him, a finger pressed to his head.
"Let's just make our relationship clear," the Hozuki said. "Just because you defeated Orochimaru doesn't make you superior to me. We were all after him. Someone would have gotten him sooner or later. You were a favorite, so you weren't locked up and you had a better chance than us."
"In this situation, I've got the upper hand." Suigetsu pointedly pressed his finger harder into Sasuke's head. Then he huffed, withdrawing his hand. "Just kidding."
Sasuke shot him an annoyed look but allowed him to explain himself.
Suigestu raised his hands in mock defeat. "Even in this situation, not a single irregular heartbeat. I've heard rumors about you, Uchiha Sasuke. You're team defeated Momochi Zabuza, right?"
Sasuke didn't reply but Suigetsu took this as a yes anyway.Ā "I'll go with you," the former Kiri-nin said. "But I have a few things I want to ask of you."
Suigetsu yanked out the Kubikirobocho, smiling. "Heavy." He swung it. "So this is the Bloody Mist Demon Momochi Zabuza's Kubikiribocho."
"Can you use that with your strength?" Sasuke asked.
"The Swords of the 'Seven Swordsmen of the Mist' was passed down from generation to generation. I've always admired them and they were the reason I trained. As long I have this sword, I might not lose even to you." He stabbed it into the ground. "Besides, if we're going to include Jugo, it might be helpful to have this thing around."
Sasuke scoffed dismissively and turned back towards the path. Behind him, Suigetsu rolled his shoulders. "Well then. Let's get going, Sasuke."
Suigetsu eyed the redhead female standing there like she owned the place.
He reeeeally didn't like her...And her voice.
Sasuke did not notice or, more like, did not care, about what Suigetsu thought. "Suigetsu, go free everyone being detained."
He huffed. "Huh. Still talking like you're above." He slowly got to his feet.
Karinās eyes flashed at this.Ā "Don't you dare!" She snapped.
Suigetsu eyed the girl, then his male companion, and decided that the Uchiha was much more bothersome to deal with. He could feel Sasuke watching to make sure his order was being followed before he turned back to Karin. "There is no longer a need for a guard. What are you going to do?"
Suigetsu stood up and stalked out of the room.
When he came back to a closed door, Suigetsu sighed.Ā Uchiha Sasuke may have been a genius, but he was emotionally dense.Ā After waiting a few more seconds, he slashed right through the door.
Karin shot him a murderous glare as he entered, and he easily ignored it. "Let's go, Sasuke. Karin doesn't seem like she's going."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "She said she'll come with us."
"Wh-who said I'll go?" Karin stuttered. "I'm just...just...heading in the same direction!"
"Oh, that's convenient." Suigetsu smirked. "Let's go partway together, then."
"Just partway," Karin repeated.
Suigetsu rolled his eyes and turned back to Sasuke. "Now it's Jugo, right?"Ā
"Jugo? You're going to include him?" Karin asked.
"You're only coming with us halfway, right? Then it shouldn't concern you."
"N-no, it doesn't concern me."
Karin let out a threatening growl. "Are you picking a fight?"
The three of them made their way out of the now empty hideout. "Jugo is being kept in the Northern hideout," Suigetsu muttered, more to himself than to anyone else, but his companions heard him anyways.
Karin turned to him, annoyed. "You have a problem with that?"
Suigetsu scoffed at the thought. "Nah."
Sasuke shot him a look and Suigetsu responded with a smirk.Ā "It's convenient, that's all," he said.
"There was a prison break."
Suigetsu looked up at the familiar voice. "You okay being out here?"
"All the guards were killed. Without anyone to constantly power the seals, all that's holding me in is the seal itself." There was a pause. "Everyone's going wild. It's dangerous to approach now."
Suigetsu eyed Sasuke and Karin, who were once again waiting for him to recover. He took another gulp of water. "We're heading over to collect Jugo," he muttered under his breath so that neither would hear him. "Any info on him?"
"Jugo? He's also going wild."
"I guess that means he's dangerous to approach?"
Suigetsu groaned. "Well, I guess it's worth it. You're there too, right? At the Northern hideout."
"Suigetsu?" The Hozuki blinked up at Sasuke, who was looking down at him. He must have been very distracted, for he didn't even notice the Uchiha approach him.
"Eh, my bad." Suigetsu got to his feet, noting with relief that Sasuke didn't seem to notice anything. "Sorry, let's go."
He carefully glanced over his shoulder to the small body of water he had been resting by, just in time to see a figure made purely of water wave a goodbye before it soundlessly collapsed, causing ripples.
Sasuke had known the Northern hideout was where he would meet the most resistance, simply because the experiments kept there had mostly lost their minds. Jugo was easy to spot, for all they had to do was follow the trail f broken furniture and occasional bodies left behind. The orange haired teen flew at them the moment they approached.Ā
Suigetsu eagerly stepped forward and the blade of the Kubikiribocho blocked Jugo's attack. The orange head narrowed his eyes.
"You didn't use that kind of power last time," the Hozuki muttered. "So hard too."
Sasuke watched the two fight it out before he finally decided that he had had enough. "Suigetsu, stop. We aren't here to fight. I'll talk to him."
Suigetsu felt a flash of irritation as the Uchiha attempted to cut in.Ā "He isn't someone who'll listen to you. You'll have to take him by force,ā he told him.Ā
Jugo's eyes flashed with recognition. "You're Suigetsu! I remember now!" His arm began to grow bigger and Suigetsu felt the killing intent flare.Ā The two of them exchanged several more blows before something screamed within Suigetsu's head, a split second before he found himself restrained by a snake.
Sasuke had straightened and while his posture was relaxed, something rang warning bells in his head. "You two...Do you want me to kill you?"
A surge of killing intent, more intense than anything he had ever felt in a long time, hit him hard.Ā Suigetsu stiffened even further, eyes wide. Why couldn't he stop his trembling?
Then, before he knew what was happening, Jugo screamed. He tore through the snakes and he ran off into a room, slamming the door behind him.Ā Suigetsu stepped away from the snakes as they loosened. Shaking off his discomfort, he gestured curiously towards where he had vanished.
"Hurry up and lock the door!" Jugo's voice came from within.
"I came to get you out of here, Jugo," Sasuke said. "Come with me."
"He's scared," Suigetsu guessed,
"No, that's not it," Karin said.
"I don't want to kill any more people. I don't want to go outside. Just leave me alone!"
"What?" Suigetsu frowned. "Split personality..."
"Jugo is driven by an intent to kill, and he can't stop it," Karin told them. "He can't stop himself, but he really doesn't want to kill."
They heard Jugo release a shuddering breath. "If Kimimaro isn't here, I'm not going out."
Suigetsu recognized the name."Kimimaro...the Kaguya." Even he had heard of him.
"Kimimaro was strong," Karin explained. "He was probably the only person who could keep him controlled."
Suigetsu wracked his mind. "But isn't that guy..." dead?
"Jugo," Sasuke spoke up. "Kimimaro is no longer alive. He died for me."
There was a moment of silence. "He...died for you? Then...are you..." There was a shift from within. "Uchiha Sasuke?"
The door slowly opened. Jugo stood at the doorway, looking warily at the Uchiha.
The orange head did not require much more convincing for him to join them and they gathered outside the hideout a while later. Sasuke stood before the other three, a faraway look in his eyes. "My motive is to kill Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki. In order to do that, I want to borrow your strength."
"Thought it was something along those lines," Suigetsu muttered, but he did not say anymore. He had a brother, Mangetsu, but the older was already dead. All in all, him and his siblings had gotten along so he could not say he understood the Uchihaās feelings.
Sasuke turned to the redhead. "However, Karin. You said you already had other plans. What are you going to do?"
Karin blushed. "Uh...yeah! I was thinking and I've decided that it's not something I have to rush."
"Be honest, Karin." Suigetsu bared his teeth. "Don't you just want to be by Sasuke's side?"
"W-why would you say such things?" Karin demanded.
"Bullseye! See? You're stuttering." He smirked. "Besides, I know something. In the past, you and Sasuke-" Before he could finish, Karin punched him in the face.
"Suigetsu, stop agitating her. I believe I've already told you that you have to work together?" Sasuke's face was blank.
"Kay~ My bad, Karin." Suigetsu smirked, knowing Karin could tell he was not sorry in the least. "Anyway, I guess I'll stick around," he said. "Itachi's partner is a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. It's a part of my goal to take his sword Samehada."
"Someone's compensating by collection swords."
Suigetsu gritted his teeth. He turned away, fixing Sasuke with a serious look. "Besides, I know I've told you, but I need your help in getting someone out."
Sasuke nodded briskly. "I haven't forgotten," he said, then turned to the last person. "Jugo, now that you're out, what are you going to do?" Suigetsu turned to the orange haired teen.
"Kimimaro said that you will be the revival of his existence. He sacrificed himself to protect you." He looked at Sasuke. "I want to see how strong of a shinobi you really are."
Sasuke nodded. "Then it's decided," he said. "Now, Suigetsu. You still have business here, don't you."Ā
"Yeah. Like I've said, I'm probably going to need your help with this." Suigetsu then turned and began wandering back into the corridors of the Northern Base. Sasuke followed, Karin and Jugo trailing behind.
"We're recruiting another one from here?" Karin asked.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I've only agreed to set this person free. Whether they will join us depends on their abilities."
Sasuke looked curiously around the corridor as Suigetsu led them through. The air was damp and heavy and Karin kept complaining about it. Jugo was quietly following.
Suigetsu broke away from the main corridor, leading the way through a much narrower, less well-lit corridor. The air became even heavier.
"How do you know of this place, Suigetsu?" Sasuke asked. He was annoyed to have found out that not even he knew of this structure.
"Uh...a little bird told me." Suigetsu sighed. "Okay, this definitely looks like it."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "A-"
"It's not my fault! I've never been here." Suigetsu sounded like he was talking to someone else entirely.
"What?" Sasuke turned to him.
"What? No. The only ones here are us and...the chakra signature coming from straight ahead," Karin said.
"There is someone here," Jugo insisted. "I can sense it." He paused. "I've sensed this feeling before."
Suigetsu blinked. "Wait, you can feel it?"
Jugo nodded warily and Sasuke fixed his gaze on the Hozuki.
"Eh, you'll see." Suigetsu turned around dismissively. They kept walking until the white-haired teen came to a stop and Sasuke realized that they were now standing in front of a huge metal door. Seals were placed all over it and he noticed them to be lightning based that electrocuted anyone that stepped through the door if the seals weren't deactivated properly.
Suigetsu pointed at the seals. "I'm sure someone like you can easily break through something like this."
Wordlessly, Sasuke destroyed them with his lightning chakra. The Hozuki hummed, then shoved the door open.
The air became even damper.
A stream ran from the left wall to the right wall, the water vanishing through a hole in said walls. The openings were blocked by metal bars, which also held the electric barrier seal.
There were bodies of water everywhere, looking like the leftover puddles of a rainstorm.
At the far end of the room, Sasuke could make out a tank similar to the one Suigetsu had been in. This tank was also covered in electricity seals. The former Kiri-nin mockingly stepped aside and he easily cut through the seals, along with the glass. Water gushed out, puddling at their feet.
Similar to Suigetsu's situation, a figure began to form in the puddle. In a few seconds, a pink haired girl around Sasuke's age sat in the water. The girl slowly got to her feet and the movement caused the girl's hair to shift. Sasuke caught sight of striking green eyes. The girl looked at Sasuke curiously.
"Uchiha Sasuke," she murmured. She didn't even wait for a confirmation and instead, she turned to Suigetsu.Ā "You're late."
Suigetsu crossed his arms. "Take pity on me. I was stuck with her-" he jammed a finger in Karin's direction. "-And I had to travel through the killing heat." He tossed her something from his pouch and the girl threw the black cloak over herself. She slowly got to her feet, stretching each limb. Suigetsu moved to her side, gripping her arm.Ā "Okay. Guys, this here is Sakura." The girl, Sakura, smiled. "Kura, you probably already know, but-"
"Jugo and Karin," the girl chirped. The two mentioned narrowed their eyes in turn. Confusion swam in their gazes, and Sasuke guessed they had never met her before too.
Suigetsu nodded. "I'm going to be traveling with these guys." He shot Sasuke a look, shrugged, then turned back to Sakura. "Sasuke here is hunting down his brother."
Sakura's eyes brightened at the word 'hunt'. "I'm good at hunting."
Suigetsu smirked and nodded. "So, Sasuke, can she tag along?"
Sasuke's face gave nothing away. "I cannot simply allow someone to join us because they are 'good at hunting',ā he said.
"But she really is," Suigetsu insisted. "All she needs is a body of water. Orochimaru used her as a spy when he was desperate enough."
"Yet, she was locked up. If she was sent out as a spy, she could have simply escaped."
Suigetsu's smirk widened. "She's good because she can spy on anyone from anywhere."
Sasuke leaned forward. "Explain." He knew there were things Orochimaru kept from him. Perhaps this was one of them.
"Though it works once at a time, Sakura can use any body of water as a 'medium'. As long as what she is looking for is also close to a body of water, she can spy on them." He nodded at Sakura, who placed both feet firmly in the puddle on the ground. She made a hand sigh and closed her eyes.
A second later, Sasuke felt something brush the back of his neck. He turned around to come face to face with a Sakura made purely of water. The water Sakura waved her fingers at him. "Boo!"
He noticed Karin and Jugo watching him curiously, and it took him a second to realize that they couldn't see the water version of her.
Sasuke turned back to Sakura. "Hn. How does it work?"
"I'm simply matching the vibrations in the water to something only you can see," Sakura explained. The water version of her vanished. "It's the same for my voice. What you are seeing and hearing is made up purely of the small vibrations and the movement of the water."
Sasuke thought through this. Karin's sensory abilities would be useful as a whole, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone who could keep an eye on Itachi from a distance.
He crossed his and everyone present looked at him curiously. "From now, we will call ourselves 'Hebi'." Sakura's eyes brightened when she realized what this meant.
Sasuke turned around briskly. "We'll continue this elsewhere. The air here is...suffocating." He turned, expecting them to follow, and they did. Sakura took a few shaky steps and stumbled. Suigetsu grabbed her arm again, helping her regain her balance.
"Stupid Kabuto," she muttered. "Stupid four eyes electrocuted me a few days ago when he came to ask me if there were any changes in our usual targets and I told him that Uchiha Sasuke betrayed Oto to eloped with an Uzumaki Naruto."Ā
Sasuke froze and Sakura let out a soft laugh. "I was lying, of course."
Suigetsu snorted, seeming amused. "I doubt that's the only reason," he said. "When was the last time you walked on your real two feet?"
"Years," she replied easily.
"And how do you know of Naruto?" Sasuke asked, slowing in his steps. He just about managed to stop his eyebrow from twitching.
"I usually can't see outside the room we were in before cause of the seals, which was powered by the shinobi on watch to make sure theyāre extra effective. But sometimes, some of them slack off and I use those times to...explore, I guess. Though I can't go out in my real body I could, technically, walk around in my water form so I've been nearly everywhere!"
"Hn." Sasuke turned back to face the front, trying to ignore the cheerful chatter coming from behind him.
"Anything else?" Suigetsu asked excitedly. "Dirt or something I can use against someone?"
Sakura shoved the white-haired teen away playfully. "You're gonna have to earn it, Sui-nii."
Everyone stopped walking.
"Sui...nii?" Karin asked.
Sakura nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "This Hozuki Suigetsu is my brother."
